Microsoft had finally settled on a great new name for its new app platform: universal apps. Microsoft has made available a set of tools that allow developers to get started building apps for the Windows 10 Universal App platform.

To reduce compatibility questions, Microsoft has a new name for universal apps that will work across multiple screen sizes: Windows apps. Windows apps will work on Windows 10 laptops, tablets, desktops,phones, IoT and Xbox. With Windows apps, Microsoft is changing the branding of its universal apps away from Modern apps and Metro apps that are found on Windows 8.1 and windows phone 8.1. By calling universal apps Windows apps, Microsoft appears to be moving to a centralized Windows 10 branding.

While it’ll probably take a while until actual Windows 10 apps look and behave similarly on smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops, and Xbox One, developers enrolled in the Windows Insiders program will be able to start testing things out with the preview tools. Developers will be able to experience several new app elements that will be available inside Windows 10. For example, Adaptive UX is a new user interface for apps that can adapt to any screen, whether it’s a small smartphone or a large desktop display. Developers will be able to add Adaptative UX to their existing Windows 8.1 apps as they prepare them for Windows 10.

Microsoft expects developers to create new Windows apps, not new Windows desktop applications. And it has improved the Windows universal app platform which is really just a refinement of Metro, to make it more powerful and capable. Pocket App has years of experience developing windows apps and it will be interesting to work on new apps with this new platform.